MAY 8, 2015
DENTON, TEXAS (AP)
A natural gas well fire in North Texas has been put out, and
lightning is being blamed for sparking the blaze. Denton city spokeswoman
Lindsey Baker says firefighters extinguished the blaze early Friday. Nobody was
hurt.
Baker says authorities received word of the well fire
shortly before 10 p.m. CDT Thursday. Storms were in the area at the time. The location was near Windsor Drive and
Interstate 35.
She says eyewitness reports indicate a lightning strike may
have started the fire, which burned more than four hours before being put out.
Fire department officials monitored air quality at the site.
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An explosion at An oil and natural gas well during a thunderstorm
Thursday night set off a fire that will burn for several hours behind Westglen
Drive in Denton.
Denton Police Department Public Information Officer Ryan
Greeley said police received a call about the fire, which they believe was
ignited by lightning, at 9:53 p.m.
“At this point in time we have a gas well head that’s on
fire and the battery tanks are on fire also,” Greeley said.
He said the Denton Fire Department must keep the well head
and battery tanks cool to prevent more damage, but they need to let the fire
burn out to avoid creating another hazard.
“If the fire department puts it out, then we’ve got natural
gas spewing. Raw natural gas,” Greeley said. “So they’re letting it flare off
until the crews get up here to be able to cap the well head.”
Greeley said no one was injured and no one was one the scene
when the fire started. No nearby homes have been evacuated, but firefighters on
the scene are using air monitors to make sure nothing hazardous escapes the
well. The operator of the well, Vantage Energy, is sending crews from Houston
to cap the well.
West Windsor Drive was closed off for emergency personnel.
Interstate 35 and Frontage Road are still open.
The North Texas Daily is following the story. Updates will
be posted when they are made available.